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Daniel Proussalidis, National Bureau

Mar 25, 2014

, Last Updated: 5:52 PM ET

OTTAWA — The pilot's desperate attempt to keep First Air Flight 6560 from slamming into a hill during its landing approach in Resolute Bay, Nunavut, in 2011 came too late, the Transportation Safety Board says.

"The aircraft was in cloud at this time and the crew was unable to see the ground," TSB senior investigator Brian MacDonald said. "It wasn't until the ground proximity warning sensor sounded that the crew took corrective action."

Twelve peopled died when the plane crashed east of the runway.

Three passengers were seriously injured.

In its report, the TSB found 18 factors contributed to the disaster, including a malfunctioning compass that put the plane off course.

Someone also inadvertently changed the autopilot's mode so that it no longer tried to align the Boeing 737 with the runway, but the crew didn't notice.

The report says it didn't help that the co-pilot couldn't convince the captain until the last second to attempt a "go-around," a manoeuvre where the plane climbs to a safe altitude before re-attempting to land.

"Go-around thrust," were the captain's last words a split second before the crash.

Resolute Bay's airport wasn't equipped with radar to warn air traffic control the plane was in danger.

The TSB also cited Transport Canada for having out-of-date landing safety procedures, something the agency is working on.

What's more, First Air spent only half a day training pilots on the outdated procedures.

First Air vice-president Christopher Ferris says that's up to a full day now.